Maureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I hope the Government will take it further and provide the €5,000 waiver I mentioned, because, as the Minister said, community education is working. I refer to two providers in Dublin Central, HACE on Henrietta Street and the Larkin Centre for the Unemployed on the North Strand. There were 20 participants on a community employment scheme, five of whom had to drop out for various reasons. Twelve of the participants achieved distinctions, of whom eight are going on to further education. This is working. Community education providers are being monitored and are engaging with everything that is required of them. However, they feel threatened, and when I questioned the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government about this, he was unable to reassure them that they would not have to pay a €5,000 fee. They do not have that money and that is the bottom line. If such a fee is imposed, they will have to opt out of community education. Because the providers know their communities, they know what is working and the methodologies to use. That is what they have used to ensure people return to full-time employment instead of having to take on part-time manual work.

The providers are engaging but they are asking whether there is a cull in community education. I take it from what the Tánaiste said that she will look into this. The providers cannot afford the €5,000 fee. Many participants do not even have the money to travel to their training. Significant opportunities exist in child care because those who have completed FETAC level 6 are moving on. There is nobody coming in to take those places because there is no incentive and, therefore, the child care facilities are also under threat.

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